Manually operated gear wrench

Abstract

A manually operated gear wrench having a fixed hand plate and a wrench plate rotatably mounted thereon. The wrench plate carries a ring gear which meshes with a pinion gear rotatably mounted on the hand plate. Studs adapted to selectively receive socketed handles and tools are connected to the pinion gear and wrench plate. By connecting an operating handle to the pinion stud and a tool to the wrench plate stud, an input to output ratio of 3:1 is obtained. By connecting the operating handle to the wrench plate stud and the socketed tool to the pinion stud, an input to output ratio of 1:3 is obtained. A releasable locking mechanism is provided between the hand plate and pinion gear to prevent relative rotation between the pinion gear and ring gear to thereby provide an input to output ratio of 1:1.

I claim: 
     
       1. A manually operated gear wrench comprising, a fixed hand plate, a wrench plate, shaft means extending between said hand plate and wrench plate for rotatably mounting said wrench plate on said hand plate in face-to-face relationship, an internal ring gear mounted on said wrench plate, a pinion gear rotatably mounted on said hand plate, said pinion gear meshing with said ring gear, a stud connected to said wrench plate, a stud connected to said pinion gear, an operating handle removably connected to one of said studs, and tool means removably connected to the other of said studs, whereby when the operating handle is connected to the wrench plate stud as the input and the tool means is connected to the pinion stud as the output, a relatively fast input to output ratio is obtained, and when the operating handle is connected to the pinion stud as the input and the tool means is connected to the wrench plate stud as the output, a relatively slow input to output ratio is obtained, and a releasable locking mechanism between the hand plate and pinion gear to prevent relative rotation therebetween, to thereby provide an input to output ratio of 1:1, said locking mechanism comprising a sector plate mounted on said shaft means, at least one abutment on said sector plate adapted to engage the teeth on the pinion gear, a pin connected to each sector plate and extending through a slot provided in said hand plate, whereby the sector plate can be manually pivoted about said shaft means to engage or disengage the abutment with the pinion gear means, and over-center toggle spring means mounted between the sector plate and hand plate for holding the sector plate in the engaged position. 
     
     
       2. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 1, wherein a pair of abutments are provided on the sector plate. 
     
     
       3. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 2, wherein spring-biased detent means are mounted between the sector plate periphery and the hand plate for holding the sector plate in the released position. 
     
     
       4. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 1, wherein the studs are rectangular in cross-sectional configuration and the operating handle and tool means are provided with similarly configured socket portions adapted to be received by the studs. 
     
     
       5. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 4, wherein the operating handle comprises a crank. 
     
     
       6. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 4, wherein the operating handle comprises a hand knob. 
     
     
       7. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 6, wherein the hand knob includes a ratcheting mechanism. 
     
     
       8. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 4, wherein the tool means comprises a drill. 
     
     
       9. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 4, wherein the tool means comprises a screw driver. 
     
     
       10. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 4, wherein the tool means comprises a socket wrench. 
     
     
       11. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 4, wherein the tool means comprises an Allen wrench. 
     
     
       12. A manually operated gear wrench according to claim 1, wherein a handle is fixedly connected to said hand plate.